SUMMER BOUQUETS

A few days this week the morning and evening temps were cool and there was a feel to the air - that pre-Fall feeling - with a different sound of the bugs chirping; and a different feel to the air, even the heat had a different depth of degree, not so blistering.  It's lovely to see and hear the seasons changing right before my eyes.  When I worked, I only got glimpses of the changing seasons - spring and allergies; summer and hot steering wheel and hot car after work; fall with the time change so the only "real" Fall day seemed to be Thanksgiving - oh, and the sound of the WHS band practicing or playing on the football field; and winter - with ice storms, icy roads, cold winds and heater trying to keep my office warm.  Now I "hear" the seasons and have great gulps of the days - though the extreme heat and cold are still bad.  See the sun come over the trees, and every day a little different angle than the day before.  See the ants crawl in their tunneled pathway. See the wasps guarding the eves of the garage!  Oscar rolls in the grass.  Lucy and Thelma find cool spots in the tall grasses or shade of the carport in summer, or huddle together on their cushion or under the grill in the wintertime.  Smell fresh cut grass and even the sour odor of the Bradford pear trees.  Set my internal clock by the day, not by a coffee break or lunch break or only 45 minutes or 30! to get to work, and a tired, sleepy drive home.  (I do miss the book tape time in the car.)  

July and August bring these flowers out.  It's a marvel to see what each season bring:  Spring, daffodils and tulips, hibiscus, irises and roses; summer - day lilies and Queen Anne's Lace; fall - pretty colored mushrooms, Rose of Sharon, spears of lavender in the monkey grass, late roses; winter - falling pine cones, mistletoe, deer in the woods (really they're around us all the time).  

Roses looking a little scrubby.

 Mushroom - pretty color.

Rose of Sharon

Guard cat Lucy

Sher's rose

A tiny bit of grown from the climbing pink mini-roses by the road.

Violet Sher gave me.  Suffers indoors in the winter.  Comes back pretty in this Southern humidity.

Another guard cat. Thelma.

Lucy at another station.  See how alert she is!

The rose(s) of Sharon are all different colors.  One in front yard has bloomed because it has sun this year after pine trees were cut.  

My beautiful Christmas cactus.  I told Paul I would divide it.  I haven't so far.  Maybe I can find a young muscular guy to put it in the garage this fall.  Like Jae.

More 2 1/2 inch squares sewn together.  I have enough now for the other three blocks.  Just a "9-patch_ lap quilt.  It just happened.  I had no real plan.  Will probably sash it.

 And taking a break.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sher is 65 today.  This to her:

"Thanks for 65 years of being my sister, being there for me, aggravating me to tag along, then years later "taking"me on long adventurous trips, inspiring me, sending wonderful souvenirs, peeing with me in grocery aisles, rafting a river, guarding our cabin with kitchen knives, your vision, sense of adventure, sweet times with Mama and family... on and on.  So blessed to have you for my seester."